SC/ST Act ruling: Centre to file review petition in Supreme Court

Indore: The Centre has decided to file a review petition in the Supreme Court over the recent ruling on SC/ST Act. Taking to Twitter, Union Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot wrote that the “Government of India is committed to the welfare of scheduled castes and tribes. In relation to the Supreme Court’s decision on the Atrocity Act, the Central Government has decided to file a review petition in the Supreme Court.”

Earlier, Gehlot had said that the top court’s ruling could lead to a rise in atrocities against members of oppressed classes.

A delegation of Dalit ministers and MPs led by Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi over dilution of some stringent provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on Wednesday.

“The Supreme Court’s decision would affect the justice delivery system,” Gehlot, who was part of the delegation, said here, in reply to a question.It would lead to delay in police action and arrest, and as a result, atrocities against the oppressed classes would rise, the BJP leader said.

“My ministry, after holding serious discussions, had requested the law ministry that there is a need to file a review petition against the Supreme Court order,” Gehlot said.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has accepted the request.

On March 20, the Supreme Court, noting the rampant misuse of the SC-ST Act against government servants, ruled that a public servant can be arrested only after approval of the appointing authority. A non-public servant can be arrested after approval by the Senior Superintendent of Police, it said.